Cinema, Karam, Kapi

Shah Rukh Khan has always been remembered for his emotive scenes from Baazigar to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Kal Ho Na Ho. Somewhere down the line, the actor chose to do various experimental roles which may not have been fitting to his status. That’s a professional risk many take. Except that after his last big run at the Box Office, Chennai Express, none of his movies stuck a chord with the audience, even with his hardcore fans spread worldwide. In Pathaan, he is back with his old ways, charming the audience with his emotions, romantic innuendos, action scenes and a rare, one of its kind on-screen camaraderie with his close friend, confidante, contemporary and career brother –Salman Khan. As the movie ends with the title credits, the two are seen sitting and chatting casually, wondering who would be their successors in their missions (read: Bollywood, perhaps). The two make guesstimates without naming the newbies, sarcastic comments about youngsters but do not agree unanimously on any one

Ram Setu, dubbed as Adam’s Bridge is an important edifice of the epic Ramayana. Believers and followers of Sanathana Dharma do not question its existence from the time immemorial. It is the naysayers, non-believers and those of other religions who are hell bent on breaking the remnants of the bridge, so cargo vessels can pass through the Gulf of Mannar instead of taking a circuitous route around Sri Lanka. This long debated subject is the research of an ASI archaeologist in this film who goes from disbelieving the story of the bridge built by Lord Rama all the way to finding the erstwhile location of King Ravana’s palace. All within 200 mins!   Aryan Kulshreshta (Akshay Kumar) is shown digging up wealth in a box, believed to be 100s of years old in the Taliban region. Though many of his colleagues get killed by the Taliban in a massive shoot-out, he and his colleagues reach safely to tell the story of the ancient link between Afghanistan and India. His next assignment at ASI is to find